You Must Remember This
by sobeit
Summary: A J/H After Graduation Story. Please RR. Story Complete!
1. Default Chapter

Jackie lay on her back, the warm sun beating down on her.  
  
"Can you believe that guy?"  
  
Jackie leaned over, grabbed her shades and looked at the direction Donna was pointing.  
  
"Someone should really tell him that he has exceeded the maximum weight capacity for his..man'kini," Donna continued.  
  
"Oh God, please tell me that's a cardigan he's got on," Jackie shrieked as the man bent over and proceeded to stretch and flex his body.  
  
Donna laughed. "Amazing how as men get older, the hair goes from their head to their backs."  
  
"And how they never think they look bad. I mean look at him. When he put that rubber band on this morning, did he honestly look in the mirror and say to himself, 'Yeah, I still got it.'" Jackie asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Probably." Donna looked around the pool for something else to comment on. "It's boring here. Let's go to the movies or something."  
  
"What and miss the best tanning hours?" Jackie asked without so much as a glance in Donna's direction.  
  
"But it's hot and sweaty here. And Smoky the Bear of the man'kini is giving me the eye."  
  
"Well leave then."  
  
"Come with me." Donna pleaded.  
  
Jackie rose up on her elbow and looked at her best friend and wondered, not for the first time, just when that had happened. "What's the deal, Donna? You've been stuck to me like a present I can't exchange. Doesn't Eric need you or something?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong. Can't I want to spend time with you before I have to leave for college in a few weeks?"  
  
"You are a really bad liar, Donna, and if I were a less shallow person, I'd pretend to care, but I'm not so, excuse me while I get back to my very busy schedule." Jackie lay back in the chair and reached over for her Tiger Beat magazine.  
  
Donna had long ago learned that half of what came out of Jackie's mouth was a snotty cover up. She decided to let the callous remarks slide and instead pick away at the real issue. "Busy schedule?"  
  
"Yes, in exactly 10 minutes, I am going to flip over to my back. If you cared a little more about your appearance you'd know that it takes a precise schedule to get an even tan, Donna. You know one day someone's going to invent a way to tan in the privacy of your own home, so you won't have to sweat in public and you can lose all those icky tan lines. But that's crazy talk because then who'd get to see me in all the cute swimwear."  
  
Donna shook her head. "The one you're wearing today seems to be a hit." Donna looked over her shoulders at the flock of high school boys, lifeguards, and several dirty old men, that were gazing in their direction. "I think some of your fan club are working up the nerve to approach you."  
  
Jackie pretended not to be interested as she continued flipping through the magazine. "Well, I know that pink is my normal color, but something about this red bikini just seemed to be the right choice. Plus it game me the opportunity to purchase that silver anklet with the red heart that I've had my eye on."  
  
"Don't you want to know if he's watching?" Donna asked with a smirk.  
  
"Not particularly," Jackie lied.  
  
Donna leaned in and whispered to Jackie, "Then I guess it won't bother you that that blonde over there is asking him to put some lotion on her back."  
  
Jackie sprang up from her lounging position, banging her head against the tall redhead. "I'll kill him!!" Jackie screamed. She looked over to the spot she knew Hyde had been. After all, she'd picked this spot so he'd have the perfect angle to watch her. He was there all right. Shades on, shirt off, cold beer in hand. 'Danm, he looked good,' she thought to herself. His muscular arms and chest were defiantly worthy of a few poolside glances, which reminded her of the blonde bimbo he was supposed to be slathering his charm on, but there was NO blonde bimbo around him. His face was its usual Zen like mask. She could feel the heat of his stare, even with the shades covering his beautiful, intense blue eyes. Her body temperature increased 10 degrees at least and her lungs seemed to forget how to breathe. 'Wasn't that an automatic response?' she wondered to herself. 'The air goes in the nose, the lungs pump and it's done without any sort of rational thought. So she had to be breathing. Then why'd she feel faint?'  
  
"I lied," Donna said between burst of laughter and rubbing her head.  
  
Jackie glowered at her and tried to sit back down as inconspicuously as possible. "Great. Now I'll have a bruise all caused by your lumberjack head."  
  
Actually she was grateful to Donna. If she hadn't spoken to her, well, she'd almost fallen back into Steven land, that nice fuzzy place that looking at him sent her, where all she wanted in the world was to be in his arms, feeling safe and protected and loved. But it hadn't been real, had it? She reached her arm out for her bottle of baby oil and iodine, the best tanning oil possible. Once she'd bought the expensive stuff with the French sounding names, but that'd been before her father had been arrested and her mom had run out on her. She'd had to settle for a few less frills in her life since then and besides, this stuff worked just as good. Before she could pour the oil in her hand, a tall, shadow crossed her path. Jackie placed her free hand in front of her face and shielded her eyes so she could see who was standing in her sun.  
  
"Would you like some help with that?" came the deep, definitely male voice.  
  
"She's perfectly able to put lotion on herself," Donna stated. "What you think because she's a midget the baby oil bottle is too heavy for her?!"  
  
"No, it's just that unless I'm mistaken, it's time for you to flip over to your back, and unless you're a contortionist you might need a little help getting it on evenly. A nice even tan takes effort, you know?"  
  
Jackie smiled despite herself, not that she was buying any of this, but it was fun having a hot guy flirt with you. "Derrick, I'm flattered that the quarterback would take the time out of his busy summer of football practice to concern himself with the evenness of my tan." She lifted her hair up off the back of her neck and looked over her shoulder at him, smiling coquettishly. "Daylight's wasting."  
  
"Oh, please," Donna muttered not so quietly.  
  
Derrick rubbed the oil into his palms and began to slowly cover Jackie's back. After a few minutes, his hands began to massage her neck and shoulders. "You've got such delicate shoulders. Much too delicate to be carrying all these knots."  
  
"Derrick, I think you'd better leave now," Donna said.  
  
Without opening her eyes, Jackie murmured. "I'm sure Derrick will be happy to put some on you too, Donna. Of course first you'll have to take off that lumberjack shirt your wearing. I don't know why you come to the pool, wearing a cute bathing suit and then hide it behind."  
  
The rest of her comments died on her lips as she realized that Derrick's hands had slipped down a little too low, slipping along the edge of her bikini bottom. Her eyes sprang open.  
  
"Get your hands off my girlfriend!"  
  
Jackie felt Derrick move away from her. She sighed with relief and was able to turn around. Steven! She reminded herself that she was mad at him and hurt. But this was just so..romantic. She gave in and allowed herself to smile.  
  
"I told you to go," Donna said as she grabbed Jackie's hand and started to lead her away from the pool.  
  
"What are you doing?" Jackie demanded as her Amazon friend pulled her away.  
  
"Removing you, before those two guys do something stupid to impress you."  
  
"Steven called me his girlfriend. He was going to fight Derrick over me," Jackie said breathlessly, still grinning.  
  
"I know. Can you believe that? Guys are so stupid. Like something like that could actually impress a modern woman." Donna looked over at Jackie. "Oh hell. You set the women's movement back a hundred years." 


	2. A Kiss is Just a Kiss

AN: I'm bored and I have no life. October is when the new show's start but that's way too far away. So I've been reading fan fiction. You guys rock! This is my first That 70's Show piece. I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed reading everyone else's. Getting their "voices" right is hard. Hopefully I'll get better with it as the story goes along. Thanks for reading and please send feedback.  
  
Disclaimer that should have been at the beginning but I'm an airhead: I don't own the show, but if someone wants to give it to me, who am I to turn down a gift.  
  
Part 2  
  
Hyde walked down the stairs to the Foreman's basement. He could here Fez, Kelso, and Eric laughing.  
  
"And then, he's all 'Get your hands off my girlfriend' It was like that time Jackie said that to Annette over you, Kelso, but in reverse and of course minus you." Eric said.  
  
Hyde shook his head wearily. Eric was such a girl. "Let me guess, you and Donna have been sharing again," Hyde said as he sank into his favorite seat.  
  
Eric didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. He just smiled at Hyde. "Speaking of the little slugger. Have a tough day at the playgrounds."  
  
"What are you doing calling Jackie your girlfriend, anyway," Kelso asked angrily. "Last thing she said was that she'd make her choice at the end of summer. If I knew I could earn bonus points by stalking her at the pool, well, I'd have been all over it."  
  
"I wasn't stalking her. I just felt like going for a swim. Her being there was just coincidence."  
  
"Let's see," Eric said, appearing to ponder Hyde's comment. "You've been to the community pool every day this summer, at the exact same time as Jackie, I should add. Yeah, that could happen if you were Luke Skywalker and you were being guided by the Force."  
  
"And Hyde has no conscience," said Fez, "So it's pretty unlikely that any Force was guiding you. Unless it was the Force of Love. Hyde and Jackie sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-NG."  
  
"Well, that does it starting tomorrow, there will be three at this little party," Kelso said. "How do you like them apples, mister?"  
  
Hyde took off his shades, exposing his black eye to the room. Wearily he said, "Great, so tomorrow you can run interference when the next Gigantor gets too touchy/feely with her."  
  
"Dude, that looks painful. Maybe Mom should take a look at it," Eric offered.  
  
"Nay, it's nothing." Hyde leaned back, flipped the lid of the freezer and grabbed out a Popsicle.  
  
"How does Gigantor look?" Fez asked.  
  
Hyde flinched slightly as he applied the Popsicle to his eye, but not even the pain could dampen his evil smile. "A lot less pretty than he did before."  
  
"Man you are so in," Kelso said. "Jackie digs this stuff. Why didn't I think of doing something like this? I can play the hero."  
  
Eric rolled his eyes. "I could go for the easy burn here but I'm tired."  
  
"Tough day at the Pricemart?" Hyde asked. He knew that since Red had the stroke, Eric had taken to managing the store.  
  
"No, I just wish Red would .." Eric stood up and walked over to the stairs, as if he could will his father there.  
  
"I know, man. We all do," Hyde said and he meant it. The day Red had been rushed to the hospital was one of the scariest days of his life. Kitty had said that Red would be fine and he was physically. He'd spent a few days in intensive care. The doctors put him on a diet and exercise regime. Told him to watch his stress level. Given him a boat load of different meds to take and sent him on his merry way. Eric had thought he'd be able to turn over the responsibilities of the store back to his dad but his dad seemed in no rush to get back to work. He seemed in no rush to do anything.  
  
"I miss hearing him call us dumbasses," Fez said, his voice quivering slightly.  
  
"I think I caught him watching soaps the other day," Eric said bewildered. "SOAPS??"  
  
"Was it Days of Our Lives?" Fez asked. "Cause I missed it yesterday and really need to know if Doug and Julie are going to do it?"  
  
The door to the basement opened up and Jackie and Donna walked in. Donna walked over to Eric and kissed him. "So are you ready to go?"  
  
"Sure. What's the Queen of Darkness doing here?"  
  
"Shut up, Eric. Donna invited me. Don't blame me if your girlfriend doesn't want to be alone with you."  
  
Donna leaned over and kissed Eric's neck. "She's never seen Casablanca before. You don't mind if she comes too, do you?"  
  
"Of course not, sweetie," Eric said.  
  
Hyde laughed. "You're so whipped."  
  
Jackie took that opportunity to let herself look at him. After Donna had drug her from the pool, of which she was eternally happy because she'd momentarily forgotten that she was upset with Steven, she'd spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Gloria Gainer's I will Survive. She'd had to steal herself before she entered the Foreman's basement. Reminded herself mentally that she was the wronged party, that Steven had cheated on her, that he didn't trust her, before she walked inside. And now as she looked at him, all she could think was, well, she couldn't think. She wasn't even aware of how she got from her place at the door to standing over Steven. But there she was. "Oh my God, Steven. Your poor eye. Did Derrick do that?" She reached out and gingerly touched the purple shading under his right eye.  
  
"I walked into a door," he said all Zen like and unemotional, except that he leaned ever so slightly into her hand.  
  
"That's right," Kelso said, "But if you need someone to take care of this Derrick guy, I'm your man."  
  
"That's sweet, Michael, but I can handle myself," Jackie said without breaking eye contact with Hyde.  
  
"So, Hyde, you want to join us," Eric asked. Donna elbowed Eric in the stomach. "Or not. It's entirely up to you."  
  
"Casablanca. That's cool."  
  
"Well, I'm going too then," Kelso said jumping up.  
  
"Oh goodie," Fez said clapping his hands. "I call balcony."  
  
"I don't know. Kelso and heights. Not a good idea," Donna said.  
  
The group turned and started walking out the basement door to the car. Michael yelled "Shotgun", jumped into the front passenger side and grinned widely at everyone. Fez crawled grumpily into the back.  
  
"Aren't we missing someone?" Eric asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I'll handle this," Donna said sweetly. "Jackie you can stop feeling Hyde's face and get your scrawny butt out here NOW," she screamed.  
  
"Grandma was a very bad influence for you," Eric said.  
  
Donna just grinned and bobbed her head in the direction of the door they had just exited. Jackie and Hyde ran out the door and quickly jumped into the backseat. "But effective and this way there was no fuss about who got to sit next to Jackie."  
  
Eric grinned at her. "Marry me."  
  
"Oh, ok," Donna said after pretending to think about it. They kissed briefly and got into the car. 


	3. A Sigh Is Just A Sigh

AN: Thanks to everyone for all the feedback. The noise you hear is my head banging against the computer. In the last part, Red should have had a heart attach not a stroke. Doah! Thanks for keeping me straight! 8-) In this part, I tried to that sort of fantasy thing that 70s show is famous for, but wasn't quite sure how. Hopefully it makes sense.  
  
Disclaimer: Still don't own That 70's Show. Parts of this are straight out Plagiarized from Casablanca, which I also don't own. Nor do I own I will Survive or As Time Goes By, although, I have been known to get up and boogey to Gainer's tune.  
  
Part 3 A Sigh Is Just A Sigh  
  
The gang stumbled into the darkened theater.  
  
"Great. Just great," Eric grumbled. "We've missed the previews. Are you happy now?" A collective "shhh" sound came from the all ready-seated audience members. "Oh, SH yourself."  
  
Donna grabbed Eric's arm and squeezed gently. "You've already seen that Bond preview like a dozen times." She quickly scanned the seats. They were too late to all get seats in the same row. "Ok, there are three over there. Jackie, Hyde and Fez take it. Eric and I will be in those two. And Kelso you can grab the one directly behind me."  
  
"Why can't Hyde sit by himself and I sit with Jackie?"  
  
"Because I need to give you that thing we had to stop for on the way here," she said patting her purse.  
  
"Yeah, you just had to make a beer stop," Eric grumbled loudly.  
  
Kelso cocked his head to the side and looked at Eric. "Dude, ixney on the beerney. You trying to get me thrown out."  
  
Donna grabbed Kelso and Eric and dragged them to their seats. Jackie, Hyde and Fez quickly took off to their row and sat down. Fez's arms were loaded with candy, soda and popcorn.  
  
Hyde looked over at Jackie and saw her lips moving. He couldn't hear what she was saying so he leaned in closer. Jackie was singly very softly to herself, "I spent so many nights just thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong. I learned how to get along." Well, that told him how this night was going to end. He sat up straighter in his seat and focused on the movie. 'Boogey was cool. The quintessential Zen master. He'd never get all soft and fuzzy over a dame. He'd never get all twisted emotionally over a chick, even a really hot chick.' Hyde thought to himself. By the time Ingrid Bergman's character entered the show, Hyde knew that Bogart aka Rick was a goner.  
  
Hyde/Rick: If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him,  
you'll regret it.  
Jackie/Ilsa: No.  
Hyde/Rick: Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for  
the rest of your life.  
Jackie/Ilsa: What about us?  
Hyde/Rick: We'll always have Paris. We didn't have - we'd - we'd lost  
it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.  
Jackie/Ilsa: When I said I would never leave you...  
Hyde/Rick: And you never will. I've got a job to do too. Where I'm  
going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part  
of.  
Hyde/Rick: Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much  
to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill  
of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. (She  
drops her head tearfully. He touches her chin and raises it to gently  
bolster her up.) Now, now. Here's looking at you, kid.  
  
Kelso/Victor, Ilsa's husband, approaches. He's everything Rick isn't.  
He's younger, taller, pretty even. He leads his wife to the plane,  
the fog rolling around them. Ilsa/Jackie looks back and says farewell  
to Rick/Hyde.  
  
As the plane takes off, Rick/Hyde is left to walk off into the night  
not with the woman he loves, but with Captain Louis Renault/Fez.  
  
Rick/Hyde: Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful  
friendship.  
  
People in the audience started collecting their things and heading towards the exit. The movement broke Hyde from his thoughts. He stood up quickly and stretched.  
  
"That was so sad," Fez said, tears in his eyes, face covered in chocolate.  
  
"You've been hanging around Foreman too long," Hyde complained. "You're starting to turn into a girl."  
  
Jackie handed Fez a napkin. "Shut your pie hole."  
  
Hyde looked at her. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. He clenched his hands into a fist to keep from reaching out and pulling her to him. "Let's go before Foreman decides to sit through the next showing just so he can see that stupid preview." He turned and started down the aisle, not waiting for Fez or Jackie. They could just catch up with him.  
  
Fez blew his nose and looked at Jackie. "Why must the handsome foreign Captain be the only one to not get a girl? Fez needs loving too."  
  
Jackie patted his arm and followed him down the aisle. As they caught up with Hyde, they saw Eric and Donna waiting for them in the lobby. Kelso was over near the refreshment counter talking to the young, cute blonde working there.  
  
"Here's looking at you, kid," Eric said pointing his finger at Donna, in his best Bogart voice.  
  
Donna laughed. "No."  
  
"What Bogart is cool?!"  
  
"On Bogart that's cool. On you it's just stupid," Hyde said.  
  
"I just love that movie," Donna said, turning and walking out the door. "But how could they end it with her leaving with Victor?"  
  
Kelso bounds up to them and stands between Hyde and Jackie. "The cute guy always gets the girl. It's a fact of nature."  
  
"I agree with Donna," Eric said.  
  
Jackie laughs. "No. Really? Color me shocked."  
  
"Ahem," Eric said clearing his throat, "As I was saying before the forces of evil tried to interrupt me, Rick was just cool, with his white tuxedo and his cool lines, 'We'll always have Paris.'"  
  
Hyde punches Eric. "Your gushing like a school girl."  
  
"He was cool, but homely. Right Jackie?" Kelso asked.  
  
"Yeah, Jackie, this was your first experience with Casablanca," Donna said smiling at her friend. "What did you think of it?"  
  
"I think.Well, I think that it's the kind of movie that you could watch at different stages of your life and get different things from. Like I have these two dresses. One is hip and pink and has ruffles around the bodice. I bought it a few years ago because it was the thing then. But my dad bought me this basic black dress about the same time. It looks good on me too of course, because I have the coloring for it, I'm blessed that way, but anyway, I didn't care too much for it at the time. I thought it was too ..boring. But in the last couple of years, I've worn the black dress a lot and my pink dress is.out of fashion."  
  
"Leave it to you to bring Casablanca down to a fashion lesson," Eric grumbled.  
  
"And just what the heck does an ugly, black dress have to do with a hot babe running off with me," Kelso said. He grinned and ran his hand through his hair. "I mean Victor."  
  
"It means at one point in my life, I might have said, 'what woman in her right mind is going to stay with a man who works at a casino in some Foreign country when she could be with a handsome guy with potential and money?'"  
  
"I'm out of here," Hyde said as he started to cross the intersection and go in the opposite direction of his friends.  
  
"Steven, wait," Jackie said, reaching out to grab his arm. "Wait. I might have said that at one time, but I would have been wrong. Because the movie really boiled down to a woman with two men.one who needed her and one she needed. She goes with Victor because he needed her and Rick didn't. And being needed feels good. But she'd never be happy. Victor would probably be hitting on the first stewardess he saw and she'd spend her life wondering whatever happened to Rick, what they could have had together. Eventually, she'd be hitting on cabana boys and getting wasted on margaritas."  
  
"Okay, that last part was about your mom," Donna said pulling Eric's arms around her and wrapping her hands over the top of them. "But the rest of it I agree with. I even understood your dress reference. Although that scares me a little. Am I becoming more shallow or is Jackie becoming deeper?"  
  
"Is that like when you ask me if your jeans make you look fat?" Eric asked.  
  
"Are you saying I look fat, scrawny?"  
  
"No, of course not darling."  
  
"I don't feel so good," Fez said holding his stomach.  
  
"Well, you shouldn't have eaten the entire right side of the candy display," Donna said."  
  
"Can we go home now?" Fez whined.  
  
Eric looked at his friend and nodded his head. "Fine, but if you puke in my car again, I'm drugging you and dropping you off across the border."  
  
Everyone piled into the car. Kelso jumped in to sit in the middle of the back, wedged between Jackie and Hyde, an uncomfortable silence filled the car. Softly, Fez began to sing, "As time Goes By," Jackie and Donna joining in.  
  
"You must remember this. A kiss is just a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply As time goes by.  
  
And when two lovers woo They still say I love you"  
  
"Ah, hmmmmmmhmmmhmmmmhmm." Fez hummed the part he couldn't remember the lines too and then the three sang loudly as he reached the only line they were sure of, "As time goes by." "From the top," Fez said grinning. Everyone in the car sang, "You must remember this. A kiss is just a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply. As time goes by." 


	4. The Fundamental Things Apply

AN: Sorry about the delay in posting this part. Actually, I came home early Tuesday with a migraine and by 10pm, it was gone, so I decided to start working on the story. I stayed up til 1am to finish it. I got up that morning and went to work. Popped in my disc to look over my story before I sent it out and IT WAS GONE. I spent the next 2 days trying to recover it. No joy. Six pages lost in the twighlight zone. So last night, I sat in my room and tried to rewrite it. Again I was up til 1AM. This time I'm checking it from home. That nasty troll computer at work won't get this one. Although you might think it should. This one isn't as good as the original but it's the best I could do. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the feedback and please send more. It'll make all the stress worth it. 8-)  
  
Disclaimer: The 70's show is on Fox. I don't own it. If I did, I would certainly put it on the summer program instead of the crud that's been on in it's place this summer. Sorry. I'm a bit testy when I get no sleep.  
  
Part 4 The Fundamental Things Apply  
  
Jackie lay on the cot, in the bedroom she'd been sharing with Donna over the last few months. Everything just kept changing. One day she has the life of which other girls dream. She's popular, she's rich, and let's face it, she's pretty. Then in the next, she's selling parts of her life to pay off debts.  
  
If only her life was as perfect as she'd led everyone to believe. Even as a child, the only way she could get her father's attention was to be his perfect little princess. You can't be perfect all the time. No matter how hard you try. Then one day she met Kelso and started dating him. Suddenly she had her dad's attention. Negative attention is better than no attention.  
  
Of course, being around Kelso meant she'd had to be around his friends. At first it was a mutual hate. Who would have thought that she'd end up not only considering them all her friends, but also sharing a home with Donna? In a few more weeks, that'd be different. Soon Donna and Eric would be moving off to their own apartment, going off to college, and leaving her behind. The only reason they were still here now was because Eric was worried about Red. Donna had been supportive of Eric's decision, but Jackie knew that Donna couldn't wait to start her new life.  
  
Jackie took a deep breath and tried not to wallow in self-pity, but it was hard not to sometimes. Not that she in any way, envied Donna. Her hair was entirely too red to be a Dallas Cowgirl Cheerleader, after all. But still, Donna had found the guy she loved and despite one or two rough patches, she'd managed to make it work out. Jackie had thought she'd found that too, with Steven, until he'd cheated on her. She was never enough. Not for her father. Not for Kelso. And not for Steven.  
  
"That was an awfully heavy sigh," Donna said quietly. "Wanna talk about it?"  
  
Their midnight chats had become second nature. Something about the darkness surrounding them made it easier to talk. "Just thinking about what it's going to be like to have a room to myself again."  
  
"I don't know what I'll do without you to remind me to exfoliate my skin on a nightly bases."  
  
"Skin products are our friends, Donna," Jackie said, but without her usual enthusiasm. "But never fear, I bought you a thank you/good luck/going away care package, and I even wrote step by step instructions on how to use each item."  
  
"Jackie," Donna said, sitting up in the bed and staring in the direction of Jackie's cot. "I don't know what to say.."  
  
Jackie rolled over on her stomach and propped her chin on her hands. Almost apologetically, she said, "I know you only asked me to stay because Steven and Mrs. Foreman made you. I just wanted to do something to say thanks."  
  
Donna reached behind her and grabbed her pillow. Without a second thought, she swung the pillow over her head, aiming for Jackie's cot. Jackie let out a yelp as the pillow landed squarely in her face. "For the record," Donna said, "you're here because I like having you here. Your like the bratty, snooty, always a pest little sister I never knew I wanted."  
  
"I know what you mean," Jackie said grinning. "You're like the overly aggressive, tomboy, desperately in need of a makeover, older sister, I find myself oddly looking up to."  
  
"Thanks. I think," Donna said laughing.  
  
"And if you ever tell anyone I said that." Jackie said laughing too.  
  
"I know, I know, you'll deny it," Donna finished. "So, did you get a chance to talk to Hyde at the show tonight?" Donna asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Damn it," Donna muttered under her breath.  
  
"Donna!"  
  
"I don't know. I just ..You two were good for each other," Donna said, as she flopped back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "And the whole choosing yourself thing isn't working. You spend every second wondering if he's watching you, and he's busy scaring off all the guys who try to get close to you. What both of you need is a good whack against the head."  
  
Jackie got off of the cot, the springs squeaking in protest. "Jackie," Donna said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."  
  
"No, you're right," Jackie said happily.  
  
"Then where are you going?" Donna asked smugly.  
  
"To talk to Steven. And if that doesn't work, I'll take your advice and whack him upside the head."  
  
Jackie was focused on one thing, talking to Steven. She hardly remembered grabbing her robe and putting it on before rushing out the door. It was only when she reached the Foreman's basement door that reality hit her. How was she going to get in? Banging on the door this late at night would not please Mr. Foreman. Maybe she should just wait until the morning.  
  
The door opened startling her. "You coming in?" Eric said. He was wrapped in his bed sheet and wearing a big, goofy grin.  
  
"Uh, yea, thanks," Jackie said as she stumbled inside.  
  
Eric turned toward her and said, "Here's looking at you kid." He made the mistake of trying to do the hip, fingers pointed like guns at her and his bed sheet started slipping.  
  
"For God's sake, Foreman, put some clothes on," Hyde said.  
  
Eric pulled his sheet tighter against him and just smiled. He turned and walked out the door, closing it behind him.  
  
Jackie stood in the room facing Steven. It was the first times in weeks they had been alone together. "Should we be worried that he's walking around outside in nothing but a sheet?"  
  
Hyde took a few steps toward her, stopping at the arm of the couch. He leaned against it, crossed his arms in front of him and smiled. "In a few minutes, he won't even have that." Jackie looked at him confused and he shrugged. "Donna gave Eric the all clear signal. It's why your hear, right, to give them some privacy?"  
  
Jackie shook her head no. Hyde just stared at her waiting for her to talk, and normally, that wouldn't be a problem. Talking was something she was good at. It's why she came over here in the first place, but now that she was here, she just didn't know what to say. Finally, she blurted out, "Did Rick need Ilsa? Did he want her to stay? Or was it just a convenient excuse to get rid of her when the newness wore off?"  
  
"You want to discuss a movie, now?!" Hyde said, bewildered. He looked at her for a minute and then he nodded. "Rick was an idiot," Hyde said. "Ilsa deserved better."  
  
"No, he wasn't. Rick was perfect. Ilsa was a manipulative skank."  
  
Frustrated, Hyde said, "Well, Mr. Perfect let the woman he loved leave with that loser because he was afraid."  
  
"Afraid?" Jackie asked, stepping toward Hyde. "He was the only one not afraid. Ilsa was scared and she ran to the one person she knew would take care of her. She needed him and he was there."  
  
"He was petrified and it colored everything he did. He couldn't deal with the fact that he needed her, because needing her meant she could hurt him," Hyde stepped toward her. They stood face-to-face, inches separating them. His voice dropped lower and he said, "Fear makes you do stupid things. It allowed Rick to let Ilsa leave and it made me drive you away."  
  
Jackie reached out and wrapped her arms around Hyde's waist pulling him toward her. Not that he struggled much. She hugged him as tightly as she could. It felt good to be in his arms again. Right in a way nothing had in a very long time. She laid her head against his chest and breathed in the scent of him. He kissed the top of her head, not breaking the contact she had started nor taking it any farther. Softly he whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, Baby. I don't know what else to say. I was stupid."  
  
"I know, and if you ever even think of doing something like that again, I'll break you like a twig," Jackie said. Hyde pulled back to look at her. Jackie smiled at him and said, "Okay, maybe I can't, but my dad's in prison. He knows people now."  
  
Hyde grinned at her. "You are such a badass. It's why I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Steven, and I don't want you to think I'm letting you off the hook. I'm not giving you free reign to just break my heart into a million pieces whenever you want. I love you, but I can't forget what you did. And I don't ever want to feel that way again. I'm forgiving you because I realize it wasn't totally your fault."  
  
Jackie took Hyde's hand and led him over to the couch. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her, protectively. He didn't try to speak. It was as if he knew she needed to get this off her chest. She leaned back against him and let his warmth seep into her. "I'm a better person when I'm with you. Even Donna says so, but the old Jackie's still in here. I do things to get attention. It's what I do.  
  
"I wanted you to want me and after you came back from visiting that college with Eric, you were worried that I might have been with someone else. And I liked that. Using Kelso, it wasn't an intentional thing; at least I don't think so.  
  
"At first it seemed harmless, I wanted to go to the Foreman's party, you didn't and Kelso said he'd go with me. I knew that would drive you nuts and it worked, but I shouldn't have let it go on. I shouldn't have let Kelso say those things about our relationship in front of you, when I knew how much it bothered you. I should have never accepted that sweater from him, not if it was going to make you worry.  
  
"I've given you reason to doubt me. With the whole "Get off my boyfriend" thing and all, but the truth is, you never had any reason to worry. Michael's my past, but you're my present. I've lost too many things from past lately. I don't want to lose him too, but as a friend. My heart belongs to you."  
  
"Are you through now?" Hyde asked.  
  
"Yes," Jackie said, turning to look at him.  
  
"Good," he said, and then he kissed her. Kissing Hyde was like riding down a steep hill, with your hands off the handlebars, thrilling, exhilarating, and it took her breath away. There was no such thing as a friendly kiss between them and there hadn't been since that fateful day in Foreman's basement. It was always 0 to 60 in a half a second between them and that was just fine with Jackie. She started to lean back on the couch and pull Hyde down with her, but he lifted her up instead. It wasn't exactly the way Rhett Butler would have done it. She wasn't swept up in his arms. It was more like one minute she's kissing him and the next he's got her thrown over his shoulder fireman style.  
  
She thought about complaining, but then Jackie decided she rather liked the view. She gave in to the temptation to squeeze his butt, and he froze in place. Jackie started giggling. Steven popped her lightly on the behind and said, "Shh, you'll wake up the Foreman's."  
  
He carried her into his room and then dropped her on to the bed. A disheveled Jackie, pushed the hair out of her face, and said, "A little eager, aren't we?"  
  
"You aren't stripped naked on the couch in the basement," Hyde said seriously. "I think I practiced remarkable restraint."  
  
"I agree," Jackie said as she pulled Hyde down on to the bed with her. "And patience should be rewarded."  
  
The end. 


End file.
